Stero Biotechs, an Israel-based biotech company that focuses on Cannabidiol (CBD) formulation research and development, has initiated a small-scale clinical trial studying the effects of a steroid-CBD treatment on patients affected by the coronavirus.

With the spread of the novel COVID-19 virus, cannabis news are on an all-time high. It is no surprise that companies in Israel, which is a medical cannabis pioneer, are undergoing clinical trials using CBD or non-psychotropic parts of the cannabis plant to treat the affected patients.

Steroids are vital for reducing inflammation in the pulmonary tissue. But, extended usage has serious side-effects. Stero makes CBD products that help lessen lung and tissue inflammation in COVID-19 patients, improving the efficiency of steroids and thereby reducing its usage.

While announcing the clinical trial in a press release, the company said, “Steroid treatment is usually the first or second line of treatment for hospitalized patients. CBD enhances the therapeutic effect of steroid treatment and treats the bio-mechanism affected by the virus. The initial study will evaluate the tolerability, safety and efficacy of the CBD treatment for hospitalized patients with COVID-19 Infections.”

The 10-patient study is going to take place at the Rabin Medical Center’s Golda Hasharon Campus in Petach Tikva, in collaboration with the Mor Research Application. The study will be a PoC or a proof of concept study, a small case study that is undertaken before more extensive clinical trials take place. This will require final approval by the Helsinki Committee.

Stero aims to benefit and help enhance the effect of steroids to treat COVID-19 patients. The company reports that the treatment cycle will last for a few weeks with a follow-up period of the same length.

“We estimate that our CBD-based treatment can enhance the current treatment of those patients who are suffering life-threatening conditions,” said Stero Biotechs Founder and CEO David Bassa. He further added that since COVID-19 patients are mostly treated with steroids, their study aims to demonstrate the benefit of a combined solution with steroid treatments.

The company plans to expand its trial under the US-governed FDA clinical trial guidelines and regulations. The Phase IIa multi-center clinical trial will treat an additional 40 COVID-19 patients that are hospitalized using cannabis.

“We are hopeful that this study will lead to faster benefit for the growing number of COVID-19 patients in Israel and around the world,” said David Bassa.

Stero was founded in 2017 to boost and intensify the effects of treatments using steroids. The company has quite a number of patents on CBD applications, covering about 130 autoimmune and inflammatory diseases by name, CBD from synthetic or botanic sources, CBD in any dosage, in any combination and any delivery system.

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